BY THE SEA (Thin places 1)

Sand and salt water!

I’ve spent a lot of time

making love to waves doing

things that tickle all over.

There is something about

five to ten feet deep

in clear water,

awash in sunlight.

A universe of aquamarine,

and wavery shades of teal

eyes burning from salt

in water that bathes

more than the skin.

Alive and at home with

sand dollars, crabs

and flashy fish.

Burst the surface

and catch a rolling wave

to ride all the way in,

so when I dry off

in the sun, laid out

across a patch of white

sand where I am content.

Author's Note

Thin places are where the physical world and the spiritual world come close together. Not the same as Zen, which is something we do, but more like an event. It is those times when you are taken aback by beauty, or truth, or some great, noble thing, and you are suddenly in the throes of a “religious experience,” except, religion is never a “thin place.” Some people do feel closer to God while there. It can be anything, from just watching a tiny spark of life going about its business to lying in the dark and watching the star-wheel turn… The important thing to remember is, if you don’t stop for beauty, beauty won’t stop for you.

Reviews

[Zoe Richardson]

I love, love, love this poem! Can I say that too many times? There is something about clear water, awash in sunlight. Although my experiences are more with and inground pool than the seashore. I love water in all forms, especially the sound of it. It is a source of comfort and solace. They way you capture that feeling of exhausting yourself beneath the surface and then dragging yourself to a patch of sunlight to rest is absolutely lovely.

[Vol]

Zoe,
The universal symbol of purification. Maybe we relate so well because, as someone on Star Trek called us we are "ugly bags of water."
Vol

[Zoe Richardson]

I prefer to think of myself as a bag of water in progress, thank you very much! (wink, wink.) This may be more information than you would like in a comment, but I believe the time of year we are born has an influence on who we are. While I do not believe the stars can tell our future or predict events, I believe that when God created the stars and set them in motion, he made them in such a way that they move in orderly patterns and alignments. Those born under each of these patterns share similar traits. I am a Pisces. A fish. And all my life, I have longed to be in, near, and in sight of bodies of water. Take from that what you will!

[Vol]

I need to remember to proofread...

[Zoe Richardson]

Not what I was headed for, but any meaning you can glean from my words is welcome and appreciated!

[Zoe Richardson]

Not what I was headed for, but any meaning you can glean from my words is welcome and appreciated!

[Stu. T.H.]

You got my mind running thoughts, and imagination rushing all over places. In the moment of reading, I saw a sea with so much white foam, drawing its tides with so much force that sounds came rushing through one's ears along with the wind blowing. And such vibrant colors and details you put into writing the scene! With seeming trivialities, you painted an animated picture, a living scenery with such rushing sensation of seaside enjoyment. I can almost feel the Summer heat from here! If only it wasn't so bloody damn cold! Yes! It's a wonderful feeling to feel it again, the feeling of a youthful summer tagging me into another wonderful day in the season.
A splendid read, and a keep in my shelf, author Vol.

[Milana]

Such a wonderful setting, you've described it so faithfully, I could see myself over there! How lucky one living next to the sea is!

[Ayvid N]

The aqua sea water is a poem in itself. As are white sandy beaches. Even the scurrying crabs seem enchanting. I loved your concept of Thin Places. Indeed, the sea and the shore are one such place. As is a high mountain peak, perhaps. Places where the boundaries, the invisible net between earthly and other realms become thinner.

"if you don’t stop for beauty, beauty won’t stop for you."

~ Wow, loved that line and your author's note.

[Vol]

Divya,
Thank you! The concept of "thin places" is not mine. I was introduced to the concept by Jamie Givens, a poet frend in Nashville, TN. You can google it, and there are several different takes on it. Much too much of the world is too hungry, too afraid for their lives, too distracted, or ar too shallow to take time for beauty.
Vol